Community raises $51k in honour of late soccer star

By Robert Belardi

Aurora, Ont., residents Shannon Bell and Cindy Leung on behalf of Amy Beecham, have raised $51,500 through GoFundMe in honour of the late St. Andrew's College soccer star, Ali Abubakar Gharib.

On Monday, May 16, Gharib was taken to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto in critical condition and on life support following a medical emergency. He remained at Sunnbyrook and in care, up until his passing on June 5.

Funds raised, will support funeral expenses, travel costs for Gharib's family to come to Canada from Kenya and all remaining funds, will be used to fund a program in Gharib's honour.

As per the written description on the GoFundMe page, Gharib came to St. Andrew's College from Kenya to be a student-athlete at the school.

“His teammates looked up to him for his technical prowess, and he has helped countless players better develop and hone their skills both on and off the pitch,” the description on Gharib's GoFundMe page wrote.

It was back in 2017, his hard work and dedication to the sport was rewarded, when he received a call up at just 14-years-old, to Kenya's U-20 national soccer camp. He was widely known as a creative attacking player and excelled as a part of Ascent Soccer.

As a part of Ascent's campus located in Uganda, he fought for a global scholarship, which provided Gharib the opportunity to come to St. Andrew's College.

“Over his three years in Canada, Ali was a creative force on the field, in the classroom, and on the stage participating in numerous drama productions. With his many soccer and academic skills, Ali was set to attend the University of Dayton in Ohio this September making him Ascent Soccer's first global scholar to earn an NCAA Division 1 soccer scholarship.”

Beecham, who provided Gharib a place to live throughout his time in Canada, and Harp Athwal, will be the beneficiaries in ensuring that all funds are allocated accordingly.

Kind words of support from teammates and families who knew Gharib, can be seen beneath the story.

To donate or to view the GoFundMe page, please visit gofundme.com and search “Honouring Ali.”

Disclaimer: The hardcopy headline reads “St. Andrew's College raised $51k in honour of their late soccer star.” St. Andrew's College was not involved in this GoFundMe page initiative. That honour belongs to local patrons.